County improvements, speed limit change discussed at meeting

March 27, 2012

Recap from the regular Nolan County Commissioners meeting held on Monday morning, March 26, 2012 at the Nolan County Courthouse (shown)

A 30 mile-per-hour limit was approved to be set for Nolan County Road 277 during the county commissioners' meeting on Monday, March 26, 2012 at the Nolan County Courthouse.
Though no residents from the area were in attendance at the meeting, Precinct 3 commissioner Terry Locklar presented the information given to him. The narrow road has seen increased traffic from trucks in oil field work, which has brought a concern to parents in the area.
After meeting with an oil field representative, it was determined that the 30 MPH limit was probably needed. Mr. Locklar said that anyone going over that limit could put themselves and others in a "dangerous" situation.
Some residents have also spoken with Nolan County Sheriff David Warren regarding the matter, in which he and his staff were praised for their work in assisting in the issue. Sheriff Warren did note that speed was a concern, but that the lower limit--which he deemed appropriate--could not be enforced if it was not in place.
In addition, a couple action items were presented in regards to the projects currently being undertaken by the county--the exterior repairs on the Nolan County Courthouse and possible construction of the Nolan County Jail and Sheriff's Office.
An order was approved which exempts the purchase of a construction manager at risk services for the county from the competitive procurement process. The construction manager at risk, as noted by county attorney Lisa Peterson, takes on the role of general contractor and will work with their selected subcontractors and the architects--while also taking on responsibilities concerning costs and time of the projects.
Furthermore, a one-step selection process was approved to be used in hiring a construction manager at risk, which will allow interested applicants to request a proposal document from the county, in which their submitted response will be used by the county to choose the construction manager at risk. The selected architect company, Wiginton Hooker and Jeffrey, have offered to assist the county through this process.
Approval to advertise for a construction manager at risk, however, was tabled by the commissioners.
One bid was received from Vulcan Materials in regards to Grade 3 and/or Grade 4 crushed rock for Nolan County precincts. However, the bid stated that the amount was not to exceed 10,000 tons; the county is currently seeking approximately 70,000 for the precincts.
The county had also sought out bids for approximately 165,000 gallons of AC5 paving materials and an unspecified amount of MC 30 for county precincts as well, but none were received.
In a three-to-one vote, the burn ban in Nolan County was approved to be left off until the next court date. The minutes from the March 12, 13 and 16 meetings were approved. and the reports from Government Trapper and the Nolan County Sheriff's Office, Veteran's Service Office, Tax Office and Welfare Office were received and approved as well.
Before the meeting ended, a local resident in attendance inquired to the commissioners about the new county jail project. As he was out of the country while the public meetings were taking place, he asked about the site selection of the new jail and sheriff's office and the financing of the projects.
The commissioners stated that, while financing has not been finalized, the process of certificates of obligation has been strongly considered. The public meetings which took place showed strong support of the new jail, thus eliminating the need for a public vote.
Working with Sheriff Warren, the commissioners promised to give the concerned resident a financial breakdown of the project. Since the public meetings, the cost for the new jail construction has already been cut by approximately $3 million.